EJ gone
- Thread starter Cats192
- Start date
Be careful my friend.
I posted this exact post a few months ago and have had to do nothing but defend myself to all the Cal fans on here, even though I am a fan of Cal. The truth bothers some people more than others.
Maybe I got too hot under the collar, but some kids hide behind their keyboard. Don't respond to them. I should have followed that advice.
I think more and more people, especially after this EJ announcement, are going to voice negative opinions on this players first system, so, like I said, just be careful.
Hopefully Cal adjusts after seeing this trend get to this level. The GL is now recruiting against us too.
I honestly wouldn’t be shocked. The “beast he created” is now devouring him
We got some breaks his first few years. We were blessed to have that lockout in 2011 because Lamb and Jones were gone
and Harrison getting hot with his last second shots...
But that beast has grown too large. It’s a shame
I'm going to mark it down and then remind you when this doesnt come true that you need to do a permanent self ban. Deal?
That’s not true according to KL, Wichita State lost 5 guys to transfer this year, that's exactly the same as losing 5+ guys every year.
What potential did Richards show in his Sophomore year? Nobody could have guessed that he would turn into the player he became this past season.
EJ has a ton of upside. The odds of him falling flat on his face in year 3 were really low. I don't know if a guy has spent over 2 years with Cal and Kenny and didn't make a huge jump at some point.
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Yeah, but wouldn't it be nice to have both? EJ started to turn the corner at the end of the season. He left way too soon.
Not a chance in hell ..even if only because of how much money he's still owed on that 86 million dollar contract extension we gave him not long ago. Do you honestly think he's gonna walk away from that kind of money?
That extension virtually guarantees that Cal and UK are gonna be together for a long time even if the marriage goes bad.
Richards’ athleticism, height, and length have always been off the charts. His free throw shooting and shot making within 18 feet has always been sound for his size. EJ hasn’t been able to hit the broad side of the barn for two years.
Richards also had light feet for a big man. His biggest issues have always been his feel for the game and overall IQ—something which experience largely fixed. I’m not going to lie and say I saw this coming with Richards this year, but his potential has always been better than average.
The problem with EJ is that he wants to be a wing player. He may realize that potential one day, but I don’t know that an extra 6 months at UK would have been enough time to see that potential come to fruition to start next year.
At the end of the day, your overall point about Richards is the exact same I have with EJ. He hasn’t shown that he’s close to putting it together. Richards is the exception, not the rule.
I'm not knocking Cal when I say this, because he literally IS the only coach that can pull it off, but when your roster is constructed of mostly guys that are new to the system, especially freshmen, all those key players better be elite.
So those that say Haarms doesn't need to be elite, are wrong. We would only have him for 1 year, so in that one year, he has to outplay his man every game. Only elite players can do that.
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But when you watched Richards in 18/19, you could easily make an argument that he was well behind where EJ is right now.
Nick couldn’t even catch the ball most if the time, then, if he did catch it, he either walked or immediately had the ball stripped.
I don't know about you, but I saw EJ turning the corner at the end of the season. He was getting tough rebounds and was making his free throws. His problems began and ended with his motor. He played like he just woke up from a nap.
I think he would have really had a good year in 20/21, but that would have required him to play with energy and heart. I don't know if he has that gene.
I know several former die hard fans that use to never miss a game, would watch some games a few times on tape etc that barely or never watch anymore; basically sick of the system, the style of play, reffing etc. including one guy that only watches if they make the final four and even iffy at that point and he never use to miss a game. Beyond that, there is a huge drop off in discussion before and after a game at work, in the past on game day several people would make a comment about the game that night and the next morning most meetings or conversations would start out with UK talk, now that rarely if ever happens. I have to admit, I am hit or miss on the games anymore, I try to catch them but if I miss it doesn't bother me like it once did. I don't blame Cal, its really just how the game, NCAA etc has evolved lately, especially with the one and done. It's a dying/dead product in many ways.
I think that’s just where you and I differentiate. I didn’t see EJ turning the corner next year. I would have loved to have had him back, but I’m not broken up over it.
I think he has potential, I just didn’t see him realizing that potential at Kentucky.
Guys like PJ, Hawkins, Wenyen, Richards and Darius Miller have given me the belief that anyone with athletesism, good measurables and drive will turn the corner in this program.
Drive is the key word there. You have to have it. EJ doesn’t have it, but it doesn't mean he can't find it.
I've just seen too many guys make incredible leaps in Cal's system the last 10 years to think EJ wouldn’t get it. A lot of it is simply getting the playing time. Richards had to wait his turn for two years, but when he got his chance, he crushed it. I think a lot of that was timing too. His training caught up to his opportunity at the right time.
It's why I hate it when these kids leave before they reach their potential. If they would just stay the course, they will benefit do much more in the long run.
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anon_013cn8yrfncx2
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Not sure why anyone would be upset over this. Guy rarely contributed and next year would have been no different. I guess he would have given 5 more fouls. So there’s that.
It’s incredibly sad. UK basketball used to be a way of life. The product is just so substandard these days. It’s hard on somebody like me that wants to hold onto it because college basketball is intertwined in my DNA, but i hate everything about what it has/ is becoming.
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anon_013cn8yrfncx2
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NAH. You or Cal or anyone else cannot motivate anyone. Motivation comes from within. EJ doesn’t really want to be better and likely hasn’t since HS when his height hand strength carried the day but no longer.
According to my math, not a big difference between 6 and 5 and 8 and 4. Plus again, Haarms is fully developed. He’s not getting any better.
When you’re the other post player a team has, a lot is gonna be expected of him if the team is worth a damn with any expectations at all.
Yes, while being surrounded by the greatest team in Kentucky basketball history.
They aren’t but a few players that I root for that come from Kentucky that’s in the league
Watching him warm up before a game, you could see EJ's immense talent and potential he possessed. He had the tools to be good but like a lot of players, he just needed more experience like Richards did to let the game slow down and to allow him to play without thinking. He was going to have a better season next year than he did this year if his projection from year one and year two continued. There is no reason to knock his decision since no one on this board knows what went into it. All we know is that he or his family needs the money and playing overseas for 6-figures is what he wants to do. Appreciate what he did for the program and quit being selfish. We had Washington, Hagans, Quickly , Montgomery and Richards all return so to say that we "always" lose all of our players is nonsense.
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I sure glad yo know Haarms personally to know that he is fully developed. I feel blessed to have your insight...Geez, what an idiot...
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There are way more fans like us than there are like the pumpers.
Uhh no what’s an idiot is someone who has no idea that his stats were much better during the 18-19 season than 19-20 season. Does that sound like someone who’s trending upward to you?
By the way, I probably shouldn’t even be bringing this up since it sounds like I’m knocking the guy, cause I’m not. Just blows my mind that fans like you expect him to be the starting center and major contributor on a championship team.
Dude is a role player and his team wasn’t as good as the Carson Edwards team. Cal isn’t recruiting him to carry the team...some reason you aren’t getting this.
I disagree. I think Cal can change it. But first he has to be blunt with these kids. While he may be trying to get some to come back, I don’t think he pushes that very hard. Remember, Cal is the ultimate recruiter, it is his passion, recruiting and putting guys in the league. I truly believe he sees that as his legacy. And if I am right, then he will never change. He goes after as many 5 stars as he can get every year, regardless of balance or need, and in order to accomplish that, most of the team HAS to leave, or he won’t get the new guys.
Do you expect UK to be a title contender? If you answered yes, do you understand he’s probably gonna be our starting center? If you’re still following me my point is that 4 rpg isn’t gonna cut it. He’s gonna be all we have in the post
He kept the bench warm a lot because he could not guard a fence post and stayed in foul trouble.
Yes cuz we have more weapons than just Haarms and he was the second leading rebounder on the team cuz when you look Purdue’s stats they rebound by committee.
And he isn’t going to be the only one on the post.
It’s not just about raw numbers. Haarms is far more efficient. He’s a better shooter by far. I’ll take a proven player over the project that is EJ. We have multiple players that can play the four position anyways. We need a center. EJ will never accept being a 5.
Players improve throughout their career. I don’t see how Haarms being just two years older is grounds to immediately dismiss him over EJ. Haarms isn’t the solution to all our problems, but it’s not a stretch at all to say he’d be better than EJ.
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EJ shot 51% last season and Haarms shot 52%.I don't see how he's a better shooter by far.
One shot double the percentage the other did from 3 last season. Unless you think that was just a fluke on both ends then I would classify one as a better shooter easily than the other.
Haarms also shot quite a few more threes than EJ did, skewing his overall FG% more than EJ. Haarms is shooting 10% better from 2 in his career than EJ, has double the 3P% percentage, and is slightly better from the FT line despite a higher volume of FT’s. Not sure what you’re not seeing here.